Academic Policies and Procedures

All academic regulations governing undergraduates are administered by the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Academic regulations are subject to change by action of the Faculty Senate, its Committee on Undergraduate Education, and the various committees responsible for the oversight of curriculum and academic standing.

When circumstances so warrant, a student may submit to the Office of Undergraduate Studies a petition requesting an exception to a specific regulation. Petition forms are available in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, 357 Sears Bldg.

Academic Grievance Policy

A student who wants to register a complaint about course instruction or evaluation should first bring the matter to the direct attention of the professor or instructor involved. If the matter is not satisfactorily resolved, the student should go to the chair of the academic department in question and seek departmental review. If neither step resolves the complaint, the student may take the matter to the faculty member's college or school dean for final review and decision.

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Standing

Attendance

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Each instructor is free to determine the extent to which absences affect the final grades of students but should make the policy regarding attendance known at the start of the course. Instructors should report excessive absences to the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Instructors who judge a student’s absences from class to be excessive may drop the student from the course with a grade of F. Instructors taking such action must notify the student’s dean in writing.

Students unable to attend classes because of illness should notify their instructors and make the appropriate arrangements directly with the instructor. The University Health Service and the Office of Undergraduate Studies do not provide medical excuses for class absence. Information concerning the policy of the Health Service and the Office of Undergraduate Studies is available in those offices.

Any student who is unable to attend classes or participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day because of his or her religious beliefs is excused from any such activity. The student will be given the opportunity to make up the examination or work that is missed, provided the make-up work does not create any unreasonable burden upon the university. When possible, students should give notice to instructors early in the semester about missing classes because of religious observance.

Audit

A student may audit a course with the dean’s or advisor’s approval and the consent of the instructor of the course. An auditor receives no credit for the course. Registration in a course cannot be changed from audit to credit or the reverse after the end of the drop/add period. However, a student may take for credit a course he or she audited in an earlier semester. At the beginning of the course, the student and instructor should reach agreement regarding the requirements to be met for a grade of AD. The grade of AD is entered on the student’s transcript if approved by the instructor of the course. If the instructor does not approve the grade AD, the enrollment is not posted on the transcript.

Course Loads and Overloads

In order to be classified as a full-time student, a student must enroll for a minimum of 12 credit-hours by the end of the drop/add period. Eligibility for many forms of financial aid and for participation on intercollegiate varsity sports teams requires full-time status. Students registering for fewer than 12 semester hours are classified as part-time and charged tuition on the basis of the number of semester hours being taken.

The normal full-time load is 14-17 credit-hours. Students ordinarily may not enroll in more than 19 credit-hours in a semester. Any schedule of more than 19 credit-hours requires a dean’s approval. Continuing students may enroll for 20-21 hours in a semester if they have a cumulative grade point average of 3.200 or better. To register for 22 or 23 hours, a minimum grade point average of 3.500 is required. Graduating seniors may be approved for overloads if they need such a schedule in order to graduate at the end of the semester in question.

Course Placement

No credit will be allowed to count towards degree requirements for foreign language or mathematics courses which duplicate work taken earlier in high school or in another institution. First-year undergraduates who have questions regarding their eligibility to receive credit for foreign language or mathematics courses should see the associate dean for first year students in the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

Course Repetition

Students have the opportunity to repeat a course in order to improve their mastery of the course material. When a course is repeated, the student will earn credit for the course only once, but both the original grade and the grade for the repeated course will be included in the semester and cumulative grade point averages, each weighted by the credit-hours for the course. The student’s transcript will show the comment “REPEATED: NO CREDIT AWARDED” directly below the original grade. Similarly, if a student repeats a course for which he or she has already received either test (AP, IB, etc.) or transfer credit, the original credit will be removed and the transcript will show the comment "REPEATED: NO CREDIT AWARDED;" credit will instead be awarded for the course taken at Case Western Reserve University. However, if the first attempt of the course resulted in a passing grade but the second attempt results in a failing grade, the student will continue to earn credit for the first attempt; both grades will be included in the semester and cumulative grade point averages.

The course repeat option may not be exercised after a degree has been awarded.

CAUTION: Students who are the recipients of any form of federal financial aid (grants, loans, work study, etc.) and repeat a course that previously earned a passing grade must enroll for a minimum of 12 credit-hours for which credit had not been earned previously.

Credit by Examination

Students may earn degree credit on the basis of advanced examinations taken while in secondary school. Examinations eligible for credit and/or advanced placement include, but are not limited to, College Board Advanced Placement Examinations, International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examinations, French Baccalaureate, and A-Levels. Determination of the criteria for granting credit and/or placement is made by the appropriate department.

Proficiency Examinations

Departments within each academic unit offering undergraduate programs may choose to offer students the opportunity to earn course credit in specific courses by proficiency examination. To qualify for proficiency examination credit for a course, the student’s examination performance must demonstrate knowledge and skills at a level no lower than that of an average student who successfully completes the course. Upon notification from the academic department, the Office of Undergraduate Studies will post credit for the course on the transcript. The grade will be recorded as PR, and will not be included in a student’s grade point average.

Declaring a Major or Minor

Students matriculating at Case Western Reserve University as first-year students may begin declaring their majors, though are not required to do so, on November 1 of the fall semester. Transfer students may begin declaring their majors at the start of their first semester at Case Western Reserve. A choice or change of major or minor is not recorded for any student until the major or minor declaration form, bearing the signature of the student, the name of the advisor, and the signature of the academic representative for the major or minor, has been completed and submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Studies, 357 Sears Bldg.

Students who enroll at Case Western Reserve University as first-year students are expected to declare a major before registering for classes for their fifth semester of enrollment. Transfer students are expected to declare a major before registering for their third semester at Case Western Reserve. Beyond that point, students who have not declared a major will have a registration hold placed on their accounts until they have done so. Those who will have earned fewer than 60 credit-hours (including transfer, AP, IB, and proficiency credit) by the end of the fourth semester for students who started as first year students, or by the end of their second semester for transfer students, may request that their dean in Undergraduate Studies allow them to register for the next semester by lifting the registration hold. Students may later change their majors should their academic interests change.

Enrollment Changes

Drop/Add

Changes in course schedules must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office using the Student Information System or a drop/add form before the end of the second week of classes during the fall and spring semesters. However, for courses that run for half of the semester, students are allowed only a one-week drop/add period at the start of those courses. Deadlines for dynamically-dated courses (i.e. those that meet on some alternative schedule) are set in a proportional manner. Similarly, the drop/add deadline for summer courses are set in a proportional manner, with the deadline ordinarily being the second day of classes.

Students who add a course after the start of the semester are responsible for any work missed and are expected to speak with the instructor to learn the consequences of any work missed and whether there are opportunities for making up missed work. In some cases, the instructor of a course may require his or her consent before a student may add a course during the second week of the drop/add period.

Withdrawal from a Course

The First Undergraduate Year:

For the first two semesters of enrollment, matriculated students who are beginning their college studies may withdraw from a course at any time during the semester, but no later than the last day of classes. Any course for which a grade of W is assigned will be deleted from the transcript at the end of the semester. This policy is not available for transfer students and does not apply to the summer session.

After the First Undergraduate Year:

A student may withdraw from a course no later than the end of the 11th week of the semester and receive a grade of W. In extenuating circumstances, a student may petition for permission to withdraw from a course after the final date and receive a W. The grade of W will be posted on the student’s transcript.

For all course withdrawals:

Students in good academic standing (i.e., not on probation, probation incomplete, or continued on probation) may withdraw from courses through the Student Information System, provided that they remain actively enrolled in at least 12 credit-hours. All other course withdrawals (those by students who are not in good standing and those that take a student below 12 credit-hours of active enrollments) must be transmitted by the student to the Registrar's Office on the appropriate form, signed by a dean in the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Failure to attend class or providing notice only to the instructor does not constitute an official withdrawal from a course. Such an unofficial withdrawal normally will result in the student’s being assigned the grade of F.

Students are ordinarily not permitted to withdraw from a course after a grade has been posted.

Withdrawal from the University

To withdraw from the university during a semester or session, a student must complete an official withdrawal form in the Office of Undergraduate Studies. If unable to complete the withdrawal in person, the student must send written notification to the Office of Undergraduate Studies. If the withdrawal is necessary for reasons of health, a statement from the student’s physician to the University Health Service may be required as a condition of readmission. Grades of WD will be assigned in all courses in which a student is registered at the time of withdrawal, provided that a student follows the procedures stated above. Failure to attend classes or notification of instructors only does not constitute withdrawal from the university. A student who ceases to attend or otherwise participate in courses without officially withdrawing will be assigned the grade F for each course in which he or she is enrolled.

Students who do not plan to return for the following semester must notify the Office of Undergraduate Studies, 357 Sears Bldg., 216.368.2928, in person or in writing.

Final Examinations

Final examinations normally are required in all courses and must be given during the final examination period at the time assigned by the Registrar; they may not be given during the final week of classes or on Reading Days. Any exception must be approved by the dean of undergraduate studies.

No student will be required to take more than two final examinations on a single day. A student who has three final examinations scheduled for a single day should go to the Office of Undergraduate Studies and obtain the assistance of the dean in arranging to take one of those examinations on an alternative day during the final examination period. Similarly, a student with conflicting examinations should seek the assistance of the dean of undergraduate studies in arranging to have the time of one examination changed.

A student must explain immediately and in writing to the dean of undergraduate studies an absence from a final examination. If the explanation is acceptable, the dean will authorize the assignment of the grade Incomplete and the administration of a make-up examination by the instructor. In the event of an unexcused absence from a final examination, the instructor should assign the student a final grade that assumes a grade of zero on the final examination and is consistent with the grading policy established for the course.

Graduation and Commencement

Application for Graduation

A student who has completed all graduation requirements in fewer than four years has the choice of graduating early or deferring graduation in order to graduate with his or her class. A student who completes all graduation requirements in four years or more must graduate at that time. The student must file an on-line application for the degree through the Student Information System by October 1 for January graduation, by February 1 for May graduation, and by June 1 for August graduation.

A student must discharge all financial obligations to Case Western Reserve University to receive a diploma and for the Registrar's Office to release final transcripts.

Graduation Check

Students must ensure that their Academic Requirement reports reflect accurately their progress toward their degrees. All requested corrections and exceptions must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Studies at least one semester prior to graduation. Academic Requirement reports are available on-line through the Student Information System.

Participation in Commencement

Students are eligible to participate in May commencement activities provided that they have completed all degree requirements during that spring semester or the immediately preceding fall semester or summer session, or have an appropriate plan to complete their degree requirements in the upcoming summer session or fall semester. A student may participate in Commencement only once as a bachelor’s degree candidate, though exceptions are sometimes made for students receiving a second bachelor’s degree at least one year after the first.

Incompletes

Pass/No Pass

Promotion

The standards for promotion are:

To the sophomore class, 27 credit-hours completed

To the junior class, 60 credit-hours completed

To the senior class, 90 credit-hours completed

Reading Days

Prior to and/or during the final examination period two weekdays are set aside as Reading Days to be used by students for completing assignments and preparing for final examinations. In the fall semester there will be one reading day on Monday of the first exam week and one reading day on Friday of the first exam week. In the spring semester, the two days prior to the beginning of the final exam period are set aside as reading days. These days are not to be used by faculty for scheduling examinations or other course activities that require the attendance of students. They may be used by faculty to schedule review sessions for which attendance is optional.

Readmission After Separation

Re-Enrollment After Voluntary Withdrawal

Students who have voluntarily withdrawn from the university and have not taken courses elsewhere following their withdrawal may petition to re-enroll in any semester. Students who have taken courses elsewhere following withdrawal must provide official transcripts of their work with their request for re-enrollment. Upon re-enrollment following a voluntary withdrawal, students retain the credit-hours earned and quality points for courses completed prior to withdrawal. In the first semester of re-enrollment, their academic status is the status in effect at the time of withdrawal, unless that status is changed by action of the Academic Standing Board.

Registration

For continuing students, registration for the fall semester begins in April, and registration for the spring semester begins in November. Complete registration instructions and regulations appear on-line on the web site of the University Registrar.

Scholarship Retention

Student Access to Records

The academic records of all students are in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, 357 Sears Building. Students may review their files in that office by appointment. A student must sign a request and present his/her ID card at the time of the appointment.

Study at Other Colleges and Transfer Credit

Students may receive transfer credit for work completed at another accredited college, university, or technological institute in the United States or from institutions of higher education outside the United States.

At the time of admission to Case Western Reserve University and upon presentation of an official transcript from each institution previously attended, credit will be awarded for courses equivalent or comparable to those offered by the University and completed with a grade of C or better. Any such courses taken prior to the student’s graduation from high school must be listed in the college’s catalog among courses offered for degree credit to the college’s undergraduates, taken in the company of matriculated college students, and organized and taught by college faculty. In addition, to be considered for transfer credit, such courses must not have been used to fulfill high school graduation requirements. The awarding of transfer credit is determined by the Office of Undergraduate Studies in consultation with the appropriate department.

After matriculation at Case Western Reserve University, students are permitted to earn at other accredited colleges or universities or through an approved program of study abroad no more than 38 credit-hours toward the totals required for the degree, including courses taken through the cross-registration program, with no more than 15 credit-hours taken as part of domestic programs or as summer study in a student's home country; any off-campus study credits beyond 15 may only be taken through approved programs of study abroad. Any additional credit earned at other institutions after matriculation at Case Western Reserve beyond 15 domestically or as summer study in a student's home country and beyond a total of 38 including study abroad will raise the total number of credit-hours required for the degree by a corresponding number.

Permission of a dean in the Office of Undergraduate Studies must be obtained in advance if the student wishes to enroll elsewhere. Further, if a student wishes to take elsewhere a course to satisfy a major or minor requirement, it must also be approved by the department chair or academic representative. Upon presentation of an official transcript from each institution previously attended, credit will be awarded for courses equivalent or comparable to those offered by the University and completed with a grade of C or better. Credit earned elsewhere after matriculation at Case Western Reserve University is not applied toward the residence requirement of a minimum of 60 credit-hours, including at least 15 after a student has earned a total of 105 credit-hours, earned at Case Western Reserve. The Off-Campus Study Request Form is available in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, 357 Sears Bldg.

Credit is not awarded for work done at an unaccredited institution in the United States except by proficiency examination in those departments of Case Western Reserve University offering that opportunity. The awarding of transfer credit for work done at institutions outside the United States is subject to departmental evaluation.

A student separated for poor scholarship may not earn transfer credit for courses taken in the first two sessions after that dismissal.

Grades for courses taken at other institutions will not be entered on the student’s record nor will they be computed in the student’s grade point average.

In addition to the regulations concerning transfer credit outlined above, the following special restrictions apply to credit for summer courses taken at other colleges, universities, or technical institutes:

1. Students ordinarily will not be permitted to take elsewhere in Cuyahoga County courses offered at Case Western Reserve University. Exceptions to this policy will be permitted only in the event of significant extenuating circumstances. Students who desire the opportunity to take elsewhere in Cuyahoga County a course being offered at Case Western Reserve must petition the Office of Undergraduate Studies in advance for permission to do so.

2. Students must be in good standing. If a student is placed on probation between receiving permission and the start of off-campus enrollment, the student is no longer eligible to enroll for and receive transfer credit for this work. Students on probation require special approval and should contact a dean in the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

3. Students may register for no more than 12 credit-hours. One quarter-hour equals two-thirds of one credit-hour at CWRU.

4. Students may transfer credit only for courses in which a semester’s work is completed in a minimum of three weeks.